Crimson Dawn
by okmangeez
Summary: Instead of receiving his father's looks and his mother's personality, Naruto receives the mirrored version of the package. Scarlet haired and timid, his unique hair stands out in Konoha but his personality certainly does not. These seemingly small changes greatly affect Naruto's life and the people around him.
1. Chapter 1

_Summary: Instead of receiving his father's looks and his mother's personality, Naruto receives the mirrored version of the package. Scarlet haired and timid, his unique hair stands out in Konoha but his personality certainly does not. These seemingly small changes greatly affect Naruto's life and the people around him._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in the Naruto universe. Naruto was made by Masashi Kishimoto and all rights are reserved to him. _

_This was always something I always wanted to write about. I probably wrote this chapter over a dozen times, trying to find the perfect beginning. I don't think this is absolutely perfect, but I think it's a good enough start. _

_To those that have actually followed me all these years, welcome back! Thank you for coming despite my long leave of absence. I will do my absolute best to finish this story and over the past year or so, I have improved my writing. So please do continue to follow me :)_

_To those that have never read any of my works, don't worry, I'm not famous. I'm just a student writing for sake of writing. I do hope you enjoy this and stay tuned for more!_

_As always, feel free to leave comments/criticism down below. I always try to interact with every reply, though if it gets too chaotic, I may not be able to reply to every message. DM me for any personal questions or inquiries._

* * *

**Chapter 1: Konoha's Demon Brat**

* * *

A young boy dressed in a black shirt and cargo shorts bolted through the streets of Konoha, his left hand tightly clenched around his right arm. A brown bag swayed side to side on the boy's shoulder as his worn sandals slapped the ground with a steady rhythm. Heads turned towards the runner, as his red spiky hair stood out instantly from the thousands of other civilians and shinobis strolling around in broad daylight of the peaceful Hidden Leaf Village.

His hair was the same color as the liquid that trickled down his right arm, as blood began to slowly seep through the hand that was holding down a sizeable cut. The wound wasn't very deep, but it was deep enough for a good amount of blood to trickle out of. Ignoring the pain from his arm, the redhead continued running.

"Stop right there, you Demon Brat!"

The boy refused to answer his pursuers and dashed away, well ahead of the crowd that was out for his blood. He internally groaned as he saw that the size of the group chasing him increased from the last time he looked over his shoulders. He deduced that several villagers witnessed the chase and joined in on the pursuit of the infamous Naruto Uzumaki. Seeing the large crowd pumped adrenaline into his veins, making him run faster and faster in the hopes of finding safety.

Naruto hooked onto a utility pole with his hands and swung himself sideways into a narrow alley. The rapid turn made several of his pursuers stumble, to his amusement, but they relentlessly pushed on into the alleyway. The sudden movement also made more blood ooze out of his wound as the gash widened further. Barely registering the pain, Naruto continued his escape as he quickly turned sharply into another alley. The red-haired boy knew the layouts of the backstreets and alleyways of Konoha better than anyone else and he intended to use every bit of advantage he had in order to ensure his safety.

After utilizing several sharp turns and feints to throw the villagers off his trail, Naruto finally managed to find some peace and tranquility next to a lone dumpster behind a grocery store. He scanned his surroundings one more time to confirm that he was not being pursued. Before he could let out a sigh of relief, his mouth twisted from the wound on his arm. The pain from his wound finally hit him with full force as the adrenaline wore off. Naruto had to stifle a sharp cry as he tightly wrapped his wound with a piece of cloth and adjusted his clothes. The sleeve of his shirt was ruined by the cut and was soaked with blood, but he knew he could mend the shirt when he returned home.

Instead of just looking at his wounded arm and torn clothes, the red-haired boy brought out the thing that made all the villagers run after him. It was a small loaf of wheat bread, about the size of Naruto's forearm. He glanced over the bread for a few seconds, thoroughly inspecting his lunch, and began to rip off small pieces to eat.

"Another busy day, isn't it Naruto-san?"

The redhead didn't flinch at the sound of the voice and merely sighed in reply, placing the bread onto his tired laps. "Another day of playing hide and go seek with the villagers"

"I'm sorry we can't directly stop them, but we can't let the villagers discover that you're being protected and tracked by ANBU agents at all times. Otherwise…"

"I know, or they'll demand that the ANBU agents be removed immediately because I'm a waste of time and resources," Naruto grumbled, losing his appetite in the process.

Emerging from the shadows, the owner of the mysterious voice was a brown haired, male shinobi that stood two feet taller than Naruto. He wore a sword on his back and had on the standard ANBU uniform with a grey vest and black shirt and pants. The ANBU agent also wore a white mask that looked like a cat, with three red stripes on each cheek. Strangely, the stripes on the masks looked awfully similar to Naruto's three whiskers that adorned his face.

Unlike most Konoha residents that despised and hated him, this mysterious ANBU agent, codenamed "Fox," treated him as an equal. Despite their large difference in terms of skill, age, and even interests, Fox and Naruto had a close relationship. Fox was the leader of the ANBU agents that kept tabs on Naruto and often interacted with the young boy due to his isolation from others. The ANBU agent considered Naruto as one of his students and treated him like a younger brother. Similarly, Naruto saw the older man as one of his only friends and looked up to the mysterious man despite never seeing his face.

Fox looked at the piece of bread, his mask covering any expressions, and sat down next to the boy. "So, what reasons did the villagers have this time on chasing you across the marketplace and the residential areas?"

"The usual. I went into a bakery to buy some bread, but the owner tried to rip me off. So logically, I reasoned with the owner and told him that if he was going to rip me off, I would go to another shop to buy bread. Instead of listening, he shouted at the top of his lungs that I was trying to threaten him and steal his bread, and the chase began right afterward." Naruto forcefully chewed the bread, despite his lack of appetite. He hadn't eaten a meal all day and he knew he needed the food for himself.

The ANBU agent listened intently and asked for a small chunk of the bread, which Naruto happily obliged and gave to him. "And the gash?"

"During the ruckus at the store, someone broke the window by accident and I cut my arm on a piece of glass by accident. It's not that deep, I'll be alright after a few days."

"Why didn't you use your usual Henge to go buy the bread instead of walking in there as your normal self?" Fox questioned as he inspected the boy's wound.

Naruto took a small chunk out his prize and slowly chewed on it, "I wanted to be myself. I was hoping that if I approached the shopkeeper respectfully and quietly, I wouldn't draw the ire of everyone around me."

Fox let out a small chuckle. "A brave attempt, but it was a reaction you should have expected. It's a miracle how you manage to stay at the top of your class…"

To the villagers, Naruto was the demon brat that deserved to be treated lower than dirt. To his classmates, Naruto was seen as a top student. He was able to memorize things effortlessly and learn complicated materials within minutes. He was an extremely gifted ninja, talented both physically (being one of the fastest ninjas in his year) and academically (always first or tied for first in his class). Not even the teachers that resented him could punish the young boy. Naruto was well mannered, intelligent, and respectful. And unlike Sasuke Uchiha, he was much more easy to approach and talk to. Not that he was given many chances to people due to his outcast status.

Sheepishly, the whiskered teen scratched his cheeks. "I'm not always at the top of my class. Usually, Sasuke-chan and I alternate in terms of placement. If anything, he's smarter and more skilled than me."

Fox scoffed at Naruto's statement. "You're too humble. The Uchiha boy may have talent, but you have talent, instinct, and dedication. True, you do lack some common sense and can be quite dense, but you're intelligent and calm even in life-threatening situations. If I was your Academy teacher, I would already have you marked as a potential ANBU agent in the near future."

"Thanks, Fox," Naruto stated with a grin. "But I'm not a ninja yet."

"Unless your teachers purposely sabotage you during the exams, you'll become a Genin for sure. The graduation exam is next week, correct?"

Naruto enthusiastically nodded. "I'm a bit nervous. Becoming a Konoha ninja had always been my dream and goal."

"Is your goal still to become a jounin of the Leaf? Not Hokage or an ANBU captain or anything like that?"

The young boy shrugged his shoulders as he finished off the remainder of the bread. "I'm not skilled enough to become Hokage and I don't think I want to join ANBU either. I just want to be a good jounin and become a teacher one day."

It was evident that the older ninja didn't share the same views as the boy, but Fox gave the redhead a pat on the head. "You'll get there one day, don't worry about it too much."

"I know," Naruto replied. The simple sentence wasn't a cocky boast, but a statement as if he knew he would reach his desired goal one day.

"Well then, Mr. Future Jounin. How about we head to one of the training grounds to prepare you for the exam? I'm not too worried, but training always helps." Fox knew how the boy would reply, but waited patiently for a reply.

"Will you teach me a new Wind Jutsu?" Naruto asked eagerly. "Or spar with me?"

The ANBU agent's mask hid the smile that formed on his face. "Both, now let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

_Summary: Instead of receiving his father's looks and his mother's personality, Naruto receives the mirrored version of the package. Scarlet haired and timid, his unique hair stands out in Konoha but his personality certainly does not. These seemingly small changes greatly affect Naruto's life and the people around him._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in the Naruto universe. Naruto was made by Masashi Kishimoto and all rights are reserved to him._

_As always, feel free to leave comments/criticism down below. I always try to interact with every reply, though if it gets too chaotic, I may not be able to reply to every message. DM me for any personal questions or inquiries._

_All replies to reviews will be placed in the bottom, after the story. _

* * *

**Chapter 2: How It All Began**

* * *

Naruto never carried his sword to school or while he was in town. He knew he was skilled enough to cut down any civilians that attacked him, which was precisely the reason he kept his kenjutsu skills to himself. If he injured a civilian or even worse, a fellow ninja, then it would only justify the villagers' hate against him. The only tools he kept on him at all times were several smoke bombs and kunai, the basic essentials he needed to escape and to survive if he was in danger.

However, the rules were different at a training ground. Civilians never approached the training grounds as the grounds were usually occupied by ninjas training with deadly weapons and jutsu. Additionally, it was a criminal offense to trespass into a training ground without explicit permission from a jonin or above. Not even the most daring villagers would attempt to chase him into a training ground. Which was why he and his mentor was inside Training Ground 18, an ordinary training ground that was used for taijutsu and ninjutsu training.

The scarlet-haired ninja freely unsheathed his blade from his back and balanced the katana in his right hand. The blade was exactly two feet long and reflected the afternoon sun brightly off its metal surface. Placing his left hand to join with his right hand, the Academy student assumed his normal ready position and eyed his opponent.

His opponent happened to be the one that had trained him for three years. Even with his fox mask on, the man's aura of calmness did not go over Naruto's head. He knew that the agent was musing on Naruto's course of action and planning his attack pattern. The older ninja's unwavering attention towards him was a testament to this. The man's blade, a blade that was slightly longer than Naruto's own, made a small hole in the dirt as the man himself looked relaxed. But Naruto knew this was just a ruse. Despite his friendly demeanor, the masked ninja did not go easy when it came to training.

After a minute of contemplation by both fighters, the older ninja dashed towards his younger counterpart. His hands were firmly on his weapon as he quickly brought his blade onto his opponent. Naruto did not waste any moment to block the incoming blow with his own sword. Even while he was blocking his opponent's strike, Naruto was studying his attacker intently.

_The most important part of kenjutsu is reading your opponent and exploiting any openings. _The ninja in training remembered from his countless spars with his teacher. _You want to make sure to end the fight as soon as possible. If you take too long, your opponent will be able to wear down your guard and other enemies might come to his aid. If you're too hasty, you will leave an opening for your opponent to strike. Strike quickly, but smartly. _

Naruto freed his blade from the lock and slashed sidewise, but the masked ninja parried it and countered with a stab to the red-haired ninja's midsection. Seeing that the strike was too quick to be blocked, the young ninja flipped backward to avoid the move. This caused him to lose his footing slightly and the ANBU agent wasted no time to take the initiative. Fox swiftly closed the distance and made a sweeping strike to knock the blade out of Naruto's hand. His strike was met with Naruto's own counter strike, which managed to halt the attack.

While he was holding back his opponent's strike, Naruto's right arm began to burn from the wound he had received earlier. He bit his lower lip in an effort to hold back the pain, but the strength in his right arm slipped away. His mentor's blade finally broke through Naruto's guard and the young ninja found himself stripped of his weapon. Instinctively, Naruto reached into his kunai holster with his right hand to continue the fight but the flat end of Fox's blade was on his neck before he could move.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard today. I should've known the wound was worse than it looked" The masked ninja nimbly sheathed his blade and tended to the boy's arm. The cloth that was wrapped around the wound was wet with blood, as the wound had split open during the spar. Carefully unwrapping the bandage, the ninja inspected the injury. "This cut needs to be stitched. Why didn't you tell me that the cut was this serious?"

Despite the pain, Naruto still managed to flash a small grin to his trainer. "If you had known, then you wouldn't have let me spar with you or you would've faced me half-heartedly. I thought I could hide it until we finished."

Instead of scolding the boy, the older man merely sighed. "I know you want to spend every minute practicing and improving your techniques, but you need to know your limits. Go home for today and rest. I don't want you to be injured while taking your exam, no matter how strong you are right now."

The red-haired boy nodded in reply, but the ANBU agent had a suspicion that the boy would ignore his warning and train later on in the day. Before he continued to talk to Naruto, Fox pulled out a small string and a wooden needle to close the wound. Naruto gritted his teeth as the man skillfully closed the gash and wrapped his arm with a brand new cloth.

After he finished, Fox made sure there were no other injuries on the boy before pulling something out of his pocket. He knew Naruto needed something to keep him occupied from any physically extensive training, so he handed Naruto a gift to keep him occupied. "The scroll in there contains a C-ranked jutsu for you to practice. It's a handy Wind jutsu that can be of use in the future. I already know you'll be training later today, so I'm giving you this one to practice with. If you pass your graduation exam, I'll teach you a new jutsu that'll make you stronger than you already are. But promise me that you won't get into any trouble and to take it easy until then. "

"I will, Fox-san." Naruto scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile before he continued. "Instead of learning that new jutsu after graduation, is it possible if I can receive something else if I manage to pass the graduation exam?"

Curious, the older man folded his arms and gazed at him. "Did you want a new sword?"

Naruto's face turned as red as his hair as he shook his head. "No! I mean, the sword I have right now is very nice and it's still fairly new. I would be grateful, but I wanted to ask if I can see your face directly if I pass the exam."

"Hmm," The masked man said as he contemplated his pupil's request, "I suppose I can do that. And I'll teach you the jutsu too as a bonus."

The excited reaction from the boy surprised Fox. But he soon realized that despite Naruto's maturity and skills, he was still a child; a very lonely child that had few friends. Although Naruto spent most of his time training, he still cherished every moment he spent with his mentor. To Fox, the request was merely trivial as it was a minor request. If Naruto became a ninja, he had every right to see the face of his guardian. To Naruto, seeing the face of his closest friend and comrade after all these years was worth celebrating. To the boy, seeing Fox's face behind the emotionless mask was worth more than anything else, even a powerful jutsu. Fox had the luxury to have friends that he could consult with and be with. Naruto had just Fox and he had never seen Fox's face.

With this realization, the masked ninja's face fell. For once, he was grateful he donned the mask as he did not want Naruto to see his facial expressions. He gave one final nod to his student before disappearing from his pupil's sight.

As he traveled back to the Hokage's office to report his daily activities, Fox recalled the very first time he reached out to Naruto. It was shortly after he had been beaten by several of his classmates after class. The masked ninja had found the red-haired boy sporting multiple bruises and cuts in an alleyway.

* * *

_He had always watched the young boy from afar for years. Ever since he had entered the academy, he was assigned to watch over the jailer of the Nine-Tails. His instructions had been explicit; Naruto was to be protected from life-threatening harm and to be watched for any psychological instabilities. Though the Hokage had trust in the boy, the elders on the council did not. They were concerned that the boy would be corrupted by the Kyuubi' chakra and insisted on constant surveillance. _

_After watching the boy for some time, he wondered if the elders had gone senile. Whether it would be old civilians or young school children, every person that saw the red-haired child would routinely abuse him. Yet despite all the insults and injuries, the boy never fought back. He never displayed any signs of being influenced by the fox. If he had never been told about the Kyuubi within him, Fox would have never suspected that Naruto was the most dangerous weapon in the entire shinobi world. _

_And what made Fox doubt the claims of the elders was the fire in the boy's eyes. Despite all the mistreatment, he suffered from his own people, his eyes never wavered. The red-haired boy never showed emotion to his tormentors and remained calm in all situations. And when he was alone, he always trained or studied by himself. Every time he was knocked around by the villagers, the flames in his eyes grew stronger as if he had something to prove. _

_It was after a particularly violent day that Fox finally decided to approach the boy. On that day, Naruto was beaten by several of his peers for winning several practice spars against his classmates at the Academy. After several long minutes of punching and kicking, the bullies had left him alone in the alley._

_Fox had watched in the shadows, emotionless to the act of brutality happening in front of him. He did not understand why the talented young ninja would refuse to fight back when just hours ago, he had defeated the same bullies in sparring sessions. Curious, the man had stepped out of the shadows to ask Naruto directly. _

"_You're finally coming out of the shadows?" _

_The young man froze at the boy's words and realized that the boy had been aware of his presence for some time. _

"_I know you've been me watching me for years now. I'm not a fully trained ninja yet, but I have sharp sensory skills." _

_Fox stepped forward out of the shadows to confront the boy. When he did, Fox was greeted by a small boy with his right hand stretched towards him. "Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki, but I would assume you would already know who I am."_

_Unnerved and impressed at the same time, Fox shook the boy's hand. "I do. You can call me Fox. I'm tasked with watching over you."_

"_Are you tasked to watch over me? Or are you supposed to protect me?"_

_A moment of silence passed between the two as Fox contemplated how he would phrase his answer. _

"_Both, but only to protect you if someone is trying to kill you."_

_Naruto's eyes bore into the older ninja's mask, his eyes fighting back tears. "Why? Why do you have to wait until I am about to die before you can come to protect me?"_

_The bitterness of the young boy's voice revealed the small fissures in the boy's calm composure. To Fox's relief, there were no signs of dark chakra emitting from Naruto, but he realized that the boy was angry. Underneath the calm demeanor, a storm was steadily brewing. And the ANBU agent realized that his previous assumptions of Naruto were misguided. The boy was mellow for the time being, but he was a ticking time bomb. If his loneliness and abuse continued, it was entirely possible that the red-haired boy would fall under the influence of the Kyuubi. _

"_I'm sorry for not being able to protect you from all the torment and abuse," Fox stated as he reluctantly patted the boy's head. The words that came out of his mouth were unplanned and they surprised even himself, but he knew it needed to be done. For himself, for the village, and most importantly, for Naruto. "From now on, I will be here to train you so that you'll be powerful enough to survive by yourself against anyone… and to also be your friend." _

"_Really?" Naruto looked overjoyed but also wary at Fox's statement. "Were you ordered to become my friend by the Hokage?"_

_Fox shook his head and crouched down to meet the boy eye to eye. "No. I'm doing this because I want to, Naruto. You're talented and respectful despite all the misconceptions about you. You should be praised and treated with respect, yet everyone looks down on you. I want to train you because I want you to be __better__; so that you can be acknowledged even by the villagers that hate you. And I sincerely do want to be your friend, a friend you can talk to and rely upon when you're in trouble." _

_The red-haired boy looked conflicted, and Fox knew why. Naruto never truly had a friend in his entire life. The few kids that played with him when he was younger were forced to stay away from Naruto by their parents. Naruto being skeptical and cautious about creating friends did not come off as a surprise to him. At the same time, it was quite obvious that Naruto longed for a friend, a single person to be with him through his struggles. _

"_Trust me," Fox entreated. "I won't leave you." _

_There was still hesitation in the boy's eyes as he looked at the ANBU agent, but in the end, he nodded. Fox offered his hand for the boy to take, and Naruto firmly grasped it._

* * *

When Fox entered the Hokage's office and stood in front of the Hokage, he knew exactly what he had to say. He wasn't going to let Naruto go easily. Naruto was his student and friend, and he was Naruto's only friend and mentor. And he didn't want another jonin to treat Naruto like a weapon or an outcast. Fox wanted to make sure that Naruto was trained like a regular student, a very skilled student but a completely ordinary one regardless.

"Hokage-sama, before I begin my daily report, I would like to request for something. "

"Ah, Fox-san," Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage and the "God of Shinobi," sat behind his desk with a pipe in his hand. He was old for a kage, as most kages tended to die early due to the constant amount of wars and battles occurring. Many shinobi tended to believe that older leaders such as the Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage were just old men sitting in their chairs until they could find a successor. However, the Sandaime Hokage's ability to analyze and read any situation never faded. Judging by the man's voice and sense of urgency, the Hokage had a strong hunch of what the ANBU agent would ask for. "Go ahead, I am listening."

"I formally request to be placed as the team leader of Naruto's genin team once he passes the graduation exam."

Sarutobi smiled.

* * *

"_Kamaitachi no Jutsu_!"

A slash of wind sped across the air and slammed into a makeshift wooden target. The target was cleaved cleanly down the middle just as Naruto sheathed his sword.

The jutsu that Fox had given Naruto was called _Kamaitachi no Jutsu _(Slashing Wind Jutsu). It was an offensive jutsu that utilized Naruto's katana, as the blade acted as a medium to create a burst of wind that could slash through small boulders. He had already practiced the jutsu for hours and had a good grasp of how to use the jutsu and when to use it.

However, as Fox had said, the jutsu did not put any physical stress on Naruto's body. The red-haired boy had heeded his mentor's warnings and had avoided his usual physical training for the day. Naruto knew that if Fox discovered that he had been training regardless of the man's warning, the older ninja would scold him for hours.

Even if he did get scolded, Naruto knew he wouldn't have minded too much. He knew that Fox was trying to look out for him and train him to become a powerful ninja. From the very beginning, the older man pushed him to his very limit so that he could shatter his glass ceilings quickly while making sure that Naruto was healthy and happy. In the past three years, Naruto had trained relentlessly and honed his skills to graduate the Academy and become an official ninja. To the young student, training was just a means to become stronger to protect his home. Even if he was hated by the villagers, it was his duty to protect them.

After all, he was _the _weapon of Konoha. The container of the feared Nine-Tailed Fox.

Everyone assumed that he didn't know the reason why he was hated, but Naruto was naturally curious about the hatred the villagers had for him. When he was eight years old, he was met with the same type of hostilities from his Ninja Academy classmates that he also faced from the villagers. After learning the henge jutsu to disguise himself, he began to research in the restricted section of the library that was only available to ninjas or ninjas in training.

In the library, he discovered that his birthday coincidentally aligned with the day of the Kyuubi rampage. He also discovered that it was likely that the beast was sealed away instead of being completely destroyed. He reasoned this because the Kyuubi was incredibly powerful and the fact that the last two sightings of the Kyuubi were within Konoha. If the beast was not destroyed by the First Hokage, then it was highly possible that the beast was not vanquished the last time it appeared and was instead sealed in something or _someone_. Added to the fact that the Fourth Hokage was a master in fuuinjutsu only validated his theory.

Additionally, the colorful nicknames that the villagers showered him with were also a dead giveaway, along with the strange seal that appeared on his stomach whenever he used an extensive amount of chakra. Naruto deduced that the fear of the Tailed Beast's destructive power, combined with the hundreds the Kyuubi killed on his birthday, was the reason why he was detested by his fellow villagers. And though he did not like being berated and harassed, Naruto could almost understand why the people of Konoha hated him. The Kyuubi was very much alive within him and it was certainly possible that the beast could take over.

Which was why he continued to train. He longed to become powerful enough one day to contain the beast within him and to prove that he _could_ be a ninja for the Hidden Leaf despite his curse. His belief in that dream had wavered when he was younger, but it was reaffirmed when Fox began to train him. If one person could see past the bias and rumors, he firmly believed that others could also. Naruto just needed time, time to become stronger and to dispel the exaggerated rumors surrounding his status as the jailer of the Kyuubi.

Naruto could see that the sun was setting and knew it was dangerous to be at the training grounds at night, but he drew his sword once again to practice one last time before leaving. After all, he didn't have time to sit on his hand and wait for opportunities to come to him.

At least, not while the village hated him.

* * *

_Thank you for reading my latest chapter. I will be continuing on Chapter Three right away, so stay tuned for more updates! If you wish to become a beta reader, feel free to send me a DM, as I am always looking for people to help me improve my story._

_I do apologize if this chapter feels a bit slow. I wanted to properly introduce the background story behind the main characters before I continued, so I added in this chapter before we get into the action. The story will have more action next chapter. _

_As for replying to reviews:_

_ Ezeakel: The identity of the masked ninja will be revealed either next chapter or the chapter after the next one. But he is a character that is already familiar in the Naruto universe. I did leave some subtle hints in the story (very subtle ones), so feel free to guess till the chapter comes out. He will not be on Team Seven (oof) and he does not know about his mother as of yet. Though, he will learn of her and Minato sometime in the future. _

_ Chaos537: But it would make sense. The villagers don't like Naruto and if they discover the Hokage is protecting the "demon brat" with his special ops team, then it'll probably cause a lot of backlash against the Hokage. The villagers don't have much say in shinobi matters, but they can still make some noise about the issue and even get some shinobi to join their side. Naruto will be strong, but he will not be "god tier" strong. At least, not for a long time. _

_ Ginocide02: I actually read the Tale of the Setting Sun before finishing this chapter! Though I do admit, I nearly threw my phone across the room reading the Tale of the Setting Sun. I won't spoil anything, but the story is just depressing at times. I'll try to keep this story as interesting and light-hearted as possible. However, that does not mean I will not kill off characters. Ninjas die. Life happens. It will happen in this story, sometimes when you least expect it. But I digress :). _

_Thank you all for the support and comments so far! Until next time._


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